1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a support assembly for securing both a fan motor and a fan orifice within an air conditioning unit. More specifically, the present invention relates to an air conditioning unit including a plurality of fan support legs and fan orifice supports integrated to provide a structural arrangement for securing a fan and a fan orifice in an air conditioning unit. Tube supports for providing support for a heat exchanger are additionally integrated to provide structural support to the fan orifice.
2. Prior Art
Wound fin heat exchangers are well known in refrigeration and air conditioning fields. A wound fin heat exchanger consists of a tube having a fin material wrapped about the tube in heat exchange relation therewith to promote heat transfer between fluid flowing through the tube and a separate fluid flowing over the tube. The utilization of this type of heat exchanger has been found to be both cost effective and to provide the appropriate heat transfer surface with a minimum of tube length.
To make advantageous use of wound fin heat exchangers, it is necessary that the heat exchanger be configured to optimize heat transfer. Additionally, since the heat exchanger is made from a single length of wound fin tubing, the heat exchanger is typically formed in a peripherally encasing configuration such as an annular or other configuration having an opening in the middle. As disclosed herein, the peripherally encasing heat exchanger will be generally rectangular in cross section defining an opening in the center.
When utilizing a peripherally encasing heat exchanger having a central opening in combination with a vertically packaged unit, if the heat exchanger is sufficiently large to encase the entire outdoor portion of the packaged unit, it is necessary to provide appropriate structural support for maintaining the heat exchanger in the desired configuration about the exterior of the appropriate section of the heat exchange unit.
Since the heat exchanger is mounted about the periphery of the unit and extends generally horizontally from a vertical partition dividing the vertical packaged unit into an outdoor and indoor section, it is necessary to mount the fan motor and fan orifice for coacting with the fan to circulate the air in the central opening defined by the heat exchanger. It is additionally necessary to provide appropriate structural support for securing the fan motor and the orifice such that they extend generally horizontally from the partition.
The present invention concerns the provision of fan motor support legs for securing the fan motor and fan orifice supports connected to the fan motor support legs for securing one side of the fan orifice. Additionally, tube supports for securing the heat exchanger are provided which may be engaged to the opposite side of the fan orifice to provide an integrated structural assembly for securing the fan motor, the fan orifice and heat exchanger.